Travels to China - A Guide to Traveling On a Budget

Ever since I was a kid, I remember watching Big Trouble in Little China starring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall. It was then, that I started to see the far east as this strange and mystical land. It wasn’t too long until I found myself traveling and exploring the world almost every year. After each trip, I came to realize just how much I loved meeting new people. The fear of traveling to an unknown country alone became less scary to me. I started to feel a sense of freedom and empowerment to make this a long term commitment. And when it was all said and done, you come back realizing that all the problems that you thought were so important, seem petty.

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The First Rule of Travel - Booking an Airplane Ticket

• Google Flight is one of my favorite sites to visit when in search of booking a flight. I always recommend booking a flight at least two months in advance; that way you get a better deal and you’re already ahead of schedule with planning your trip. With Google Flight, I was easily able to find a flight from Dallas to China for less than $600!

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Don’t Break the Bank – Don’t Overestimate the Cost of a Cheap Seat

• Being that I was on a budget, I needed to find an inexpensive way to travel to and from different locations. To my surprise I was able to find a number of super inexpensive tickets for traveling by train. Note, I was in a foreign country, so I was a little sceptical about picking the cheapest seat. My first thought was, "well If I end up on a wooden bench next to chickens, it would only be for 5 hours!" To my surprise, it was the best train trip I have ever experienced! The seat was cushioned and the views were outstanding!
• Side Tip - One highlight of the train trip was that they provided food carts. The pricing was a little higher than I expected, so if you find yourself taking a 5 hour train trip to Beijing, I recommend bringing some snacks and some type of entertainment such as a book to read while traveling. 

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Take Time to Explore – The Great Wall of China

• I always recommend taking the time to explore while traveling to your destination. During my trip to Shanghai, I had the urge to see Beijing and the Great Wall of China. If you’ve ever traveled to Beijing, one may be familiar with one of their most popular forms of transportation, the bullet trains. After doing some research, I came across a website called China DIY Travel where I was easily able to book a bullet train to Beijing. This site was not only super cost effective, but it was easy to process. Best of all, the instructions were provided in both English and Mandarin. 

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